Plaiting apparatus



(Mode.)

M. E. GARTWRIGHT.

PLAITING APPARATUS.

No. 406,086. Patented July 2, 1889.

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UNITED STATES 4 PATENT OFFICE.

MATTIE E. CARTVRIGHT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PLAITING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,086, 'dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed April 13,1889.

To all whom, t may concern:

Bc it known that I, MATTIE E. OART- WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Iiouis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Plaiting-liachine; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inifention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

The object of my invention is to provide a reliable and convenient means for making a certain kind of vertical plaiting, especially adapted for use in plaiting the skirts of ladies dresses from the waist down their entire lengths, which in forni, as well as in the manner in which they will open and close, resemble the folds of the bellows of an accordion, and which will retain their forni without stitching. To inake plaitiiig of this kind, uniform and reliable means should be provided for folding plaits of regular and uniform depth over and under very thin edges, and also for setting well the plaits thus formed by enabling both the upper and lower edges of the folds thus made to be readily, iirmly, and thoroughly pressedA on both sides through a damp cloth, and my invention affords a cheap, reliable, and convenient means of doing all this byhand within a reasonable limit of time, and the edge of the plait is sharp and clear-cut. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichM Figure l is a perspective view of the under side of one section of the plaiting-machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the device, showing a portion of the cloth plaited in condition for the reception of the second section of the device. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of one of the plaiting-strips. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the clamps used to hold the fabric on the binding-strip. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 7, showing the cloth in place. Fig. G is an end view showing the two sections clamped together ready for reversing. Fig. 7 is a detailed top view of one end of the device, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. S is a detail section showing the meeting of the binding-strips. Fig. 9 is a detail vertical section on line 9 S) Serial No. 307,126. (Model.)

of Fig. 7, showing the manner of securing the clamp-bar. Fig. l0 is a detaiivertical section on line 1010 of Fig. 7, showing the means for securing and releasing the slotted retaining-plates. Fig. ll is a detailed end view of the finished product.

Similar letters referto corresponding parts in all the figures.

A are two base-boards of greater length than the length of the plaits to be made and of any convenient and desired breadth, with plain smooth upper surfaces, and of exactly the saine size and construction.

B are thin metallic binding-strips- I prefer strips of tin or steel. One of these strips is securely fastened in any suitable manner to one of the length edges of each base-board in such a manner that it will project above the inner surface of the base-board a distance equal to one-half of the width of the plaitingstrips.

O are slotted retaining-plates having notches a on the upper and lower edges exactly opposite each other to receive the clamp-screws D, workingin the ends of the base-boards in nuts l), recessed into the wood near the ends of the boards, as shown in Fig. l0, so that the slotted retaining-plates can be clamped'to the ends of the boards by the claiiip-screws D, and the upper and lower edges of the slot will be in about the saine plane as the inner surface of the base-boards when in place, and so that the edges of the binding-strips when the two boards are secured in place will be directly over each other. Any appropriate means may be employed for attaching and releasing the slotted retaiiiing-plates from the base-boards but I prefer the means described.

E are plaiting-strips of a length sufficient to extend across the entire length of the baseboards and through the slots in the retainingplates at each end, as shown in Fig. 2, the slots in the retaining-plates being suflicient in width to allow the plaiting-strips,when in use and standing on edge on the inner surface of the boards, to pass freely through them.

F is a clamp-bar of uniform height with the plaiting-strips to clamp the plaiting-strips and piaiting formed about them rmly together for pressing, which passes freely IOO through the slot in one retaining-plate, inV

which it is secured by a washer c and a woodscrew d, as shown in Fig. 9, and having at the other end the metallic cap e with its threaded opening to receive the clamp-screw g passing into it through the slot in the other retainingplate, as shown in Fig. 9. The clamp-bar may be worked adj ustably between the retainingplates in any suitable manner; but I prefer the mode described.

Gr are clamps to hold the material to the binding-strip.

II is the fabric to be plaited, and I is the fabric in place and ready to press.

To use viny invention, take either of the base-boards with its binding-strip B fixed thereto, and clamp to each end a slotted retaining-plate C by means of the notches a in the edge of the retaining-plates and the clamp-screws D in the ends of the board. The clamp-bar F is pushed to the outer edge of the board ont of the Way. One end of the fabric to be plaited is pulled over the baseboard from the far side, a plaiting-strip is inserted next the binding-strip, and the edge of the fabric is turned and clamped over the plaiting and binding strips thus brought together with clamps G, as shown in Fig. 2. A plaiting-strip is then put in on edge over the fabric, so that it, passes across the length of the board and through the slots of the retaining-plates at each end of the board. It is then pulled against the plaiting-strip first inserted, and the cloth is drawn under it until it rests tight between the first strip and the last strip inserted, and the plaiting-strip last inserted rests throughout its entire length on the inner surface of the board With t-he fabric under it. Another plaiting-strip is then run in under the fabric and drawn forward against the strip last placed with the fabric between them, and the fabric is then drawn tightly over the strip last inserted. Other plaiting-strips are then put in, first one over and then one under the fabric, and each strip as inserted is pulled back against the one previously placed and the cloth drawn tightly under or over each of them, as before, and this is continued until the board is full or the plaiting required is done. The clampbar F is then pulled firmly and evenly forward against the Work done, and there clamped by means of the clamp-screw g to retain it there for pressing. Vhen this is done, the clamps G, which secure the fabric tot-he bindingstrip, are removed, and the upper surface of the plaiting is then pressed through a damp cloth. The other board, with its bindingstrip fixed thereto, is then placed over the board containing the work pressed on one side, inner surface downward, so that the clamp-screws in its ends will enterthe notches a in the upper edge of the retaining-plates on the ends of the yboard containing the partly-pressed work, and the binding-strip on the one board will be directly over that on the other. The clamp nuts on the upper boards are then vclamped and the boards reversed, so that the bottom boa-rd will be on top. The clamp-screws in the board now uppermost, on which the Work was done, are unclamped, releasing the slotted retaining-plates from that board, which then can be and is lifted off, leaving the strips and partiallyfinished work firmly attached to the other board with what was originally the under side of the Work uppermost and ready for pressing on that side, and that side is then pressed in the same manner as before. The plaiting is then finished, and the clamp-bar F is unclamped and the strips withdrawn, leaving the plaiting free from the machine. If more plaiting is required than that finished at one time, the plaited portion is pulled over the binding-strip on the front of the base-board, a plaiting-strip is run under the cloth and pulled against the inner surface of the binding-strip, and the last plait of the finished product is then placed over the plaiting and binding strips thus broughtinto juxtaposition and clamped over them, and the plaiting of the fabric is then continued as before, pressed, and reversed and pressed as before.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent isl. In a plaiting-machine, thin metallic plaiting-strips, in combination with a base-board having a binding-strip on one edge, slotted retaining-plates on the ends of the base-board mo to secure and retain the plaiting-strips, and an adjustable clamp-bar working on and lengthwise of the base-board, all substantially as described.

2. In a plaiting-machine, thin metallic plait- 1o 5 ing-strips, in combination with two baseboards of exactly similar size and construction, each with a binding-strip on a corresponding edge, slotted retaining-plates, means of securing the retaining-plates to or releasing I 1o them from the ends of both or either base- Y board Whenever desired, and an adjustable clamp-bar working in the slot of the retainingplates lengthwise of the base-board, all substantially as described, and for the. purposes I I5 specified.

MATTIE E. CARTWRIGHT. Vitnesses:

JNo. L. FAVORITE, CHAs. G. B. DRUMMOND. 

